Cell Phone Unlocking: Should You or Shouldn't You?
When smart phones first appeared on the market, there was a lot of concern over whether it was illegal to unlock a phone or not. As the phones became ubiquitous, and case law became established in the field, the general consensus moved toward it being legal. There may be legal issues surrounding the issue in some cases, though. Knowing what issues you might face if you unlock your phone allows you to make the right decision for you.
First, there are plenty of good reasons why one might want to unlock a cell phone. Some people subscribe to more than one service provider to get better coverage and they may not want to have to use two different phones. If you really like the phone you have, you might want to keep using it, even after switching to a new provider once your contract expires. Some people want to unlock their phones to be able to use programs or apps that are otherwise artificially limited to certain carriers. Unlocking the phone for one of these reasons shouldn't be a legal issue in the sense that criminal charges can't be brought against you.
What unlocking your phone can do is void your warranty. Unlocking a smart phone can void the warranty from the manufacturer, even if you don't open up the phone to do so. If the phone stops working and would have been replaceable under the warranty, you may not be able to claim that replacement if you unlock the phone.
It can be a violation of your service contract to unlock a phone with at&t unlock codes. Most service providers require that you sign a contract to get service from them initially and you should have a copy of this contract with the other paperwork they gave you when you purchased the phone and the service contract. If your phone was free or discounted, it was likely due to you signing a service contract, often for two years. Read through the contract to see if you agreed not to unlock your phone when you signed up for the service.
Unlocking a phone to install software can lead to other concerns. There may be conflicts between the apps you have installed and the unauthorized ones as they weren't designed to work together. The phone itself may also cease to work correctly if the app conflicts with the OS installed on the phone. The tech support provided by these other app manufacturers or the makers of your phone may no longer help you if you unlock your phone to install these unauthorized apps. Keep this in mind when considering whether to unlock a phone for this purpose. As long as you know and understand the risks involved in unlocking a phone, you should feel comfortable doing so. Make sure you get Koodo unlock codes to be safe with your unlocking process.
First, there are plenty of good reasons why one might want to unlock a cell phone. Some people subscribe to more than one service provider to get better coverage and they may not want to have to use two different phones. If you really like the phone you have, you might want to keep using it, even after switching to a new provider once your contract expires. Some people want to unlock their phones to be able to use programs or apps that are otherwise artificially limited to certain carriers. Unlocking the phone for one of these reasons shouldn't be a legal issue in the sense that criminal charges can't be brought against you.
What unlocking your phone can do is void your warranty. Unlocking a smart phone can void the warranty from the manufacturer, even if you don't open up the phone to do so. If the phone stops working and would have been replaceable under the warranty, you may not be able to claim that replacement if you unlock the phone.
It can be a violation of your service contract to unlock a phone with at&t unlock codes. Most service providers require that you sign a contract to get service from them initially and you should have a copy of this contract with the other paperwork they gave you when you purchased the phone and the service contract. If your phone was free or discounted, it was likely due to you signing a service contract, often for two years. Read through the contract to see if you agreed not to unlock your phone when you signed up for the service.
Unlocking a phone to install software can lead to other concerns. There may be conflicts between the apps you have installed and the unauthorized ones as they weren't designed to work together. The phone itself may also cease to work correctly if the app conflicts with the OS installed on the phone. The tech support provided by these other app manufacturers or the makers of your phone may no longer help you if you unlock your phone to install these unauthorized apps. Keep this in mind when considering whether to unlock a phone for this purpose. As long as you know and understand the risks involved in unlocking a phone, you should feel comfortable doing so. Make sure you get Koodo unlock codes to be safe with your unlocking process.